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1,204-acre lake near Paroisse de Saint-Joseph. Government of New Brunswick lake depth survey. The lake tops out around 55 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Drawn out, this is 1,204 acres of water rimmed by 13.6 miles of bank. An index of 2.8 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 58% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Call it 4.7 mi long by 1 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Madawaska County. The nearest mapped water is Second Lake, 7 mi to the northwest.
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Secondary point, a point in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (4 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, chain pickerel slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 3 to 15 ft game here, winter a 5 to 18 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 20 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring brook trout. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
In spring, white perch run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. Shallow feeding flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 19 ft, rated prime for summer white perch. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (53 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | dusk | Deep basin (53 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Spring puts landlocked salmon in skinny water — 1 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 17 to 55 ft, wintering in 10 to 40 ft. Summer landlocked salmon concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 53 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + streamer down deep or a thin spoon on lead core covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Streamer flies (Grey Ghost) off boards, Thin spoon (Mooselook style) |
| Summer | 17 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (53 ft) | Dodger + streamer down deep, Thin spoon on lead core |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (4 ft) | Casting spoon at the mouths, Streamers |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Swedish pimple + smelt |
Structure-wise the chart holds 8 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 53 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New Brunswick waters are set by the New Brunswick fishing rules — and special regulations can apply to First Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New Brunswick fishing regulations →
First Lake is about 55 ft (17 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, brook trout, white perch, landlocked salmon on First Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for chain pickerel in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on First Lake is regulated by the New Brunswick fishing rules. Check the official New Brunswick regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Second Lake 7 mi · Third Lake 9 mi, NB/QC · Étang Deuxième-Sault 13 mi · Grand lac Squatec 13 mi, QC · Wild Goose Lake 15 mi · Lac Daniel 20 mi, QC · Lac de la Perdrix 20 mi, QC · Grand lac Touladi 23 mi, QC · Lac Témiscouata 23 mi, QC · Lac de l'Épinette Noire 25 mi, QC · Lac Blanc 25 mi, QC · Lac des Échos 26 mi, QC
See how First Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in New Brunswick · best yellow perch lakes in New Brunswick · best brook trout lakes in New Brunswick · best landlocked salmon lakes in New Brunswick
More water nearby: Madawaska County fishing maps (7 charts). Browse all New Brunswick fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.